5G auction underway on Day 4, bidding battle for UP-E in 1800 MHz continues

KOLKATA: Bidding in the 19th round on Day 4 of India’s first 5G spectrum auction was underway Friday, with the government already having received committed bids worth around Rs 1.50 lakh-crore.

The auction rounds, though, are of shorter 45-minute spans – instead of the earlier hour-long rounds — as bidding activity is limited to less than 10 licensed service areas (LSAs).

Telecom market leader Reliance Jio’s estimated spends after Day 3 of India’s ongoing 5G spectrum sale were reckoned to have crept up to over Rs 84,000 crore with possible selective buys in the 1800 MHz band in key markets, analysts said. Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea’s estimated spectrum spends after Day 3 too were estimated at around Rs 46,100 crore and Rs 18,500 crore respectively after a continuing battle for 1800 MHz in the key UP (East) market between the three telcos has unexpectedly pushed the auctions to the fourth day.